Tears, Like Rain
by bitchy brunette
Summary: Dawn has some thinking to do, and ends up doing it by the grave of soneone. (Major character death.)


Title: Tears, Like Rain  
Summary: Dawn grieves.  
Archive: ff.net, anyone who asks.   
Disclaimer: Not mine.   
Comments: I know I've been writing about Dawn lately, but I figure that since the girl has to die,   
she deserves some credit. That and the fact it makes sense she'd be the survivor, seeing as how   
she's the youngest. P.S. There is no excuse for animal violence, but take into consideration that   
Dawn has been alive on her own, with no other humans to talk to, for two years. She's not   
exactly at her peak of sanity here, all right?   
Feedback: kimmie@quincymail.com  
  
  
  
  
The sun slowly dropped down the sky, a brilliant spectrum of color replacing it. The   
sunset was spectacular, but one woman ignored it. She stood in the graveyard, alone. Running   
her hands along the top of the tombstone, she cried. Tears, free flowing, fell from her cheeks   
onto the smooth marble, making puddles in odd shapes. The little pools of salty water reflected   
the blue sky and the clouds dotted across it, looking too beautiful to be objects of sadness. The   
young woman knelt, facing the plain tombstone. It was long, as it held two bodies in one plot,   
one side a black marble, the other light grey. Across the curved top read "Elizabeth 'Buffy' Ann   
Summers and Liam 'Angel' O'Connor". Under that were the words: "Two lovers that death could   
not separate 2003". Reading these words brought Dawn Summers a fresh onslaught of tears.   
The last ascension had been two years ago. The battle was intense, but brief, and ended in the   
deaths of both Buffy and her Angel, who had been granted shanshu just a few weeks earlier.   
Buffy had been run through with a spine from some demon, Angel died killing the beast. Giles   
and Xander had found them, clinging to life and each other, after the evil was stopped. Their   
bravery ended in death. Angel had died, Buffy leaving shortly after.   
The Scoobies went on with their work, missing the source of valor. The hellmouth was   
closed, but something went wrong. Months after Buffy and Angel's death, Spike, Dru, and Darla,   
along with Wolfram and Hart, managed to call an army of evils for the second battle. It was the   
beginning of the end. The rest, Willow, Tara, Giles, Xander, Anya, even the LA gang, had died in   
the fight. The army is rampaging the world, and have taken the new slayer, keeping her alive,   
but captive. No one can save us, and the world will die. Slowly standing, Dawn surveys the   
surrounding area. No one was spared, no one is left, just her. Xander had hidden her in the   
crypt, promising to come back. Spike found her, huddled in a corner, too afraid for tears. He took   
her outside, where the heads of the gang had been placed on metal fence posts. Spike left her,   
alone in an unfriendly city where not a soul remained, to remember. Dawn survived, clinging to   
life as her only companion. She had buried them, as deeply as possible, near the grave Buffy and   
Angel shared. Using tools she'd found, crude markers of wood had been made, and painted, a   
pitiful shrine to the last warriors of the world.   
Remembering, Dawn shuddered. It had taken her days to dig holes deep enough, and   
the bodies had begun to decay in the sun. Dawn sobbed, resting her hands on the tombstone to   
support her sagging body. Everything was over, what could she do? Her only purpose was to act   
as the gate between worlds. There was nothing to be done and no one to go to for help, no one   
who could do anything to stop her pain. Something rustled behind her, and Dawn turned, looking   
around frantically for any sign of life. Whatever it was hid behind a tree. Dawn heard it   
breathing. Running, she cried out. "Stop! Please! I'm alone, and my friends are dead. Please-"   
Her voice cracked from lack of use.   
A worn, extremely skinny mutt poked its nose out from behind the tree, it's labored   
breathing a pathetic sight. Dawn broke down, screaming and crying curses. Throwing rocks, she   
drove the animal from the graveyard. Walking around the tree, her mouth dropped open at the   
sight of the bones the dog must have been gnawing on. Human bones were scattered at the   
base of the tree. Some one touched her shoulder, and Dawn spun around, gasping as she came   
face-to-face with a familiar blonde vamp. "Pet, didn't think you'd last this long."   
"What- what are you doing here?" She demanded, stepping back.   
"Ravaging the world gets old. Besides, we've cleaned out most of the big cities. I wasn't   
in the mood for the small ones, love, so I came back here to find- well, whatever might be left.   
Sad sight, this bloody town is." Dawn glared at him.  
"You killed them. They helped you, and took care of you, and even after everything-"   
Spike made a gesture of annoyance with his free hand.   
Stubbing out his cigarette, he sighed, a look of utter impatience on his face. "Doll face,   
give me a break. Evil vampire, helpless victims, put it together, will you?" Dawn turned away   
from him.   
"Get away from me." Spike stepped back into her line of sight.   
"Funny, I thought you'd be dying for company now. Any company." Dawn's eyes   
narrowed at him again.  
"Any company but yours." She began to walk away, but Spike grabbed her, eyes   
glowing.  
"Then it looks like you'll just be dying." With that, a sharp pain began in her neck.   
Slowly, a drowsy humor spread through her, and her eyes dropped shut. She welcomed   
the darkness, and the familiar figures it brought. Finally, she was no longer alone.   



End file.
